Owen Pennell

Owen Pennell joined the Probation Service in Wiltshire in the 1970s as a Probation Service Assistant. He went on to qualify as a Probation Officer and worked in a generic team in Chippenham before moving into the Family Court Welfare team in Swindon in 1984. He moved into the Court Welfare team in Bristol in about 1991 and joined Cafcass at its inception in 2001. He retired in 2008.

Owen was always very much a team player, a popular colleague and highly respected professional who was very well liked by his colleagues. In the difficult early days of Cafcass his supportive approach was essential and ideal as bridges were built between public and private law practitioners.

Owen was a committed member of Napo during his career. He was active in Western Branch and then in the Family Court Section. He was a lone Health and Safety representative for a large region of Cafcass for a number of years and as such sat on Regional Partnership meetings.

Owen was always a fit and active person and had a great many interests and friends. He died suddenly after a short illness, leaving behind his wife, Mary and his daughter, Hannah, her husband and two grandchildren. He was well loved by family, friends and colleagues for his brilliant sense of humour, his love of life and his total dependability. He will be sadly missed.